]]>https://mikeysmith.wordpress.com/2011/03/12/lib-dem-conference-liveblog/feed/153.394487 -1.49268753.394487-1.492687IMG_4250mikeysmithIMG_4250Ian McMillan library event “inappropriate”https://mikeysmith.wordpress.com/2011/02/01/ian-mcmillan-library-event-inappropriate/
https://mikeysmith.wordpress.com/2011/02/01/ian-mcmillan-library-event-inappropriate/#commentsTue, 01 Feb 2011 17:06:31 +0000http://sheffieldpolitics.com/?p=343Continue reading →]]>Sheffield City Council has issued a response to yesterday’s cancellation of an event planned by Library Workers for a Brighter Future. The event was to feature poet Ian McMillan and was to take place at Upperthorpe Library in an effort to highlight the value of public libraries..

Richard Webb, Executive Director of Communities for the council said:

“We were approached by Library Workers for a Brighter Future, which is a group campaigning against library cuts locally and nationally. Our understanding was that they wanted to hold a workshop event in a library which would both celebrate libraries and be part of their campaign against cuts. We gave the advice that at this time, when Councillors haven’t made any decisions about funding for libraries in the coming year, it would not be appropriate to hold an event like this in a library.

“Ian McMillan is a great writer and a great Yorkshireman. He’s also a powerful ambassador for celebrating what libraries have to offer and is always assured of a warm welcome here. If something has got lost in translation here, then we want to put it right. We are trying to contact him and would be delighted to work with him to showcase what Sheffield’s libraries do – and to get more Sheffielders to enjoy what they have to offer.”

BBC Radio Sheffield reported this morning that they were refused permission by the Council to record a segment in a Sheffield Library yesterday.

]]>https://mikeysmith.wordpress.com/2011/02/01/ian-mcmillan-library-event-inappropriate/feed/453.394487 -1.49268753.394487-1.492687mikeysmithCouncil bans Poet Ian McMillan from library event due to fears of “political comments”https://mikeysmith.wordpress.com/2011/01/31/council-bans-poet-ian-mcmillan-from-library-event-due-to-fears-of-political-comments/
https://mikeysmith.wordpress.com/2011/01/31/council-bans-poet-ian-mcmillan-from-library-event-due-to-fears-of-political-comments/#commentsMon, 31 Jan 2011 18:03:29 +0000http://sheffieldpolitics.com/?p=336Continue reading →]]>Poet, broadcaster and comedian Ian McMillan has been banned from appearing at a childrens’ creative writing workshop by Sheffield City Council, over fears he might make “political comments”.

The event was due to take place at Upperthorpe Library, and was intended to highlight the value of public libraries. The cancellation was reported earlier today by Library Workers For A Brighter Future, a group working in opposition to proposed cuts to public libraries. The cancellation was later confirmed by a spokesperson for Mr McMillan.

McMillan, 55, said: “Libraries are a vital and irreplaceable part of a cultured and civilised society, and one of the few public places left where you don’t have to pay to get in.”

Sheffield’s libraries are expected to see a £2.5m cut in funding by 2013/14.

A spokesperson for Library Workers For A Brighter Future said: “The event, conceived as a fun and creative way of highlighting the value of public libraries, appears to have caused great concern for the council, with the decision over whether it should be allowed to go ahead passed all the way up to members of the senior management. We view this as a misguided and heavy-handed attempt to silence those of us who want to stand up for our library service and oppose the potentially devastating public sector cuts.”

SheffieldPolitics has contacted Sheffield City Council, who were unable to confirm the reason for the cancellation at the time of publication.

]]>https://mikeysmith.wordpress.com/2011/01/31/council-bans-poet-ian-mcmillan-from-library-event-due-to-fears-of-political-comments/feed/853.394487 -1.49268753.394487-1.492687mikeysmithCouncil votes to oppose Sheffield’s financial settlementhttps://mikeysmith.wordpress.com/2011/01/06/council-votes-to-oppose-sheffields-financial-settlement/
https://mikeysmith.wordpress.com/2011/01/06/council-votes-to-oppose-sheffields-financial-settlement/#commentsThu, 06 Jan 2011 23:19:16 +0000http://sheffieldpolitics.com/?p=331Continue reading →]]>Sheffield City Council last night voted to oppose the city’s local government financial settlement, which will require deep cuts in council spending.

The cut to the grant, which council leader Paul Scriven pledged to oppose should it be over 15%, came in at roughly 8%, although this is still 4% higher than the national average.

Cllr Brian Lodge, deputy leader of the city’s Labour group, said that when council tax receipts and the additional grant for social care are taken into account, the effective cut for 2011/12 is more like 14.57%.

Speaking at yesterday’s meeting of the full council, he said: “This is a devastating settlement for Sheffield. This is a 15% cut like for like.”

Labour councillor Jack Scott further accused the Liberal Democrats of going along with the coalition settlement despite it being unfair for the city, and hitting the poorest hardest.

He said: “Every week we see how this government brings new meaning to the phrase ‘women and children first'”.

In response, an animated Simon Clement-Jones, Lib Dem cabinet member for finance, said: “Honestly, I’ve heard some shrill whining in my time, but this?” before repeatedly asking what the Labour group would do in their position.

Paul Scriven, leader of the council pointed out that Labour leader Ed Miliband had said before the election that many of the same cuts would have been made. He said Labour had said one thing before the election, and another after, which drew jeers from across the chamber.

The vote was lost by the Liberal Democrats as Green councillors sided with Labour against the motion. Green councillor Rob Murphy said: “30 years of broken promises? The Lib Dems broke that many in 30 days.”

]]>https://mikeysmith.wordpress.com/2011/01/06/council-votes-to-oppose-sheffields-financial-settlement/feed/153.394487 -1.49268753.394487-1.492687mikeysmithtownhallCouncil to oppose anti-teen devicehttps://mikeysmith.wordpress.com/2011/01/06/council-to-oppose-anti-teen-device/
https://mikeysmith.wordpress.com/2011/01/06/council-to-oppose-anti-teen-device/#commentsThu, 06 Jan 2011 22:39:11 +0000http://sheffieldpolitics.com/?p=327Continue reading →]]>A controversial device designed to be repellant to young people is expected to be condemned by Sheffield City Council next week.

The ‘Mosquito’ emits a high pitched noise only audible by children and young people under 25, and is intended to cut anti social behaviour.

The council’s Liberal Democrat cabinet is to hear that the devices are indiscriminate and do little to solve the problem of antisocial behaviour. The cabinet is not expected to endorse the device, despite it having been used in the past as a condition for granting licenses to off licences.

Councillor Shaffaq Mohammed, Sheffield City Council’s Cabinet Member for Communities, said: “If you are under 25, so-called ‘Mosquito’ devices are deeply uncomfortable to listen to. Residents living nearby will understandably have little sympathy with young people who are being a nuisance, but what about those who are just going about their normal business, or babies and young children out shopping with their parents? The ‘Mosquito’ doesn’t discriminate and that’s unfair.

“What we’ve found is that these devices don’t tackle the underlying causes of anti-social behaviour, they just move it somewhere else. We need to work with young people rather than against them.”

Harry Carter, Sheffield’s Member of the UK Youth Parliament and a campaigner against the devices, said: “It’s encouraging to see senior councillors publicising their opposition to the mosquito device. It’s a device that discriminates against young people, making no distinction between those that are law-abiding or being anti-social. The council, I believe, recognise that a more hands on approach to tackling anti-social behaviour would be much more beneficial to communities.”

The Mosquito is manufactured by British company Compound Security Systems. Their website features a testimonial from Arbourthorne Labour councillor John Robson, who says: “Sheffield City Council Licensing Board (of which I am a member) have on several occasions made it a mandatory condition of a licensing application that a mosquito device be fitted to a shop that sells alcohol – where there is evidence of youth nuisance in the neighbourhood.”

The Council of Europe voted to ban the device in June, but the ban is not binding unless the European Parliament vote to enforce it.

Mr Clegg was in Sheffield to speak with the city’s Liberal Democrat councillors, at a meeting held behind closed doors. His presence in Sheffield was only revealed when Labour councillor Ibrar Hussain mentioned it in this afternoon’s meeting of the full council.

A small crowd of students and activists began to gather outside the building after word of the meeting spread via Twitter.

Earlier today, Mr Clegg was heckled by students while campaigning ahead of the Oldham by-election.

The council voted today to object to the city’s local government finance settlement, which will see the council’s spending power cut by 8.35% next year.

Communities minister Eric Pickles is said to be furious that almost all top earning council bosses, including Sheffield council’s Chief Executive, have ignored his order to take a pay cut.

Pickles told council chief executives to cut their pay by 5% if they earned more than the Prime Minister’s salary of £150,000, or by 10% if they earned more than £200,000. The Times reports only seven council chief executives nationwide have cut their salaries.

Sheffield City Council’s Chief Executive, John Mothersole has yet to announce a cut in his salary of £184,585. On Christmas Eve, Mr Mothersole announced a pay freeze for all council workers earning more than £21,000 a year.

The council employs more than 18,000 staff, around 45% of whom earn more than £20,000 a year.

“We’re not asking the top paid chief executives, there are 129 of them earning more than the prime minister, we’re not asking them to do anything more than we’ve done as ministers. Every minister in this government has taken a 5% cut, and a five-year pay freeze. I think if you are expecting people to take some very difficult decisions throughout a local authority, then it’s right to lead from the top.”

]]>https://mikeysmith.wordpress.com/2011/01/04/council-chief-execs-resist-calls-for-pay-cut/feed/053.394487 -1.49268753.394487-1.492687mikeysmithJohn MothersoleSheffieldPolitics Review of the Year: 2010https://mikeysmith.wordpress.com/2010/12/31/sheffieldpolitics-review-of-the-year-2010/
https://mikeysmith.wordpress.com/2010/12/31/sheffieldpolitics-review-of-the-year-2010/#respondFri, 31 Dec 2010 16:55:06 +0000http://sheffieldpolitics.com/?p=313Continue reading →]]>2010 has seen Sheffield become a second home for national politics, as well as placing the actions of the local authority under a much bigger microscope. SheffieldPolitics takes a timely look back at how it all panned out.

“I am being love-bombed,” Clegg says, grinning, a phrase used by the Tory party chairman, Eric Pickles, to describe courtship of political opponents.

“Without being truculent about it, I made it very, very clear right from the beginning that I was not interested in that kind of politics. History tells me that it would be daft for the Lib Dems to get involved in dalliances.”

…

Clegg insists it would be wrong to start “playing footsie” with his opponents before voters have had their say. “There will be no backroom deals. It is really the people, the voters, who count. It is not for politicians to speculate now how they would cobble together an administration if there is a hung parliament.”

An independent panel is recommending basic councillors’ annual allowance of £11,742.45 is unchanged.

But it is proposing large increases in additional payments made to councillors with extra responsibilities.

The recommendations advise a £12,000 rise for the leader, which would bring their total allowance from £18,167.68 to £30,206.24, with £54,212 to be split between the other nine members of the Cabinet team.

But Sheffield Council leader Coun Paul Scriven said: “At a time when the council is going the extra mile to keep council tax increases low, it’s important we don’t see a big increase in the amount paid out to councillors.

“The Liberal Democrats don’t intend to approve the significant pay rises for senior councillors that the independent panel recommend.
“Personally, this means I won’t receive the £12,000 pay rise the independent panel recommends. I believe, if senior politicians talk tough on cutting down costs in the Town Hall to keep council tax low, we need to lead by example.”

February also saw Mr Clegg visit Cambridge, and put his autograph on a bit of paper. Probably seemed like a good idea at the time.

March saw the the first of countless estimates of job losses due to council funding cuts from the BBC, who warned of “up to 1000” redundancies in the next five years.

In Westminster, Labour were rushing to pass the last of their legislation as parliament drew to a close. The Digital Economy Bill, which was controversially passed with minimal scrutiny in the “wash up” drew much criticism, as well as some creative protests:

When veteran Central MP Richard Caborn announced he was to retire from parliament, it’s unlikely he would have imagined his last days in the job quite as they turned out. March saw him caught in a “cash for influence” sting arranged by Channel 4’s Dispatches, after he offered access to his considerable Westminster connections for £2,500 a day “plus expenses”.

Come April, the general election campaign was in full swing. Sheffield, unique in being home to a party leader and having a battleground constituency in its’ boundaries, was getting a lot of attention, and some high profile visitors.

As May dawned and election day loomed, the city’s last campaign visitor also gave perhaps the most inaccurate prediction of the year. Veteran Liberal Democrat Baroness Williams categorically pooh-poohed the idea of her party joining a coalition that did not have full proportional representation as a strict condition.

Last week David Cameron accused Mr Clegg of trying to “hold the country to ransom” after insisting that reform be a pre-condition for offering support to any party in a hung parliament.

Baroness Williams, 79, said: “It’s not the country. The country’s completely lost faith in the first-past-the-post system. They did some time ago.

“It’s absurd to think that the country is devoted to first-past-the-post when they clearly aren’t. I would say if anyone’s been held to ransom, it’s Mr Cameron.”

In July, the council narrowly approved £6.5m in budget cuts, during a heated assembly of the full council.

Far from the sombre faces put on by George Osborne and the cabinet on budget day, the Lib Dem cabinet appeared in more jovial spirits this afternoon. After pointing out that the country was paying out £80,000 a minute in interest, three councillors (Colin Ross, Shaffaq Mohammed and Simon Clement-Jones) openly joked about their three minute “quarter million pound” speeches. Their humour was met with uproarious laughter from the Lib Dem side of the chamber and stony faces opposite.

August saw the sad death of former Leader of the Council Jan Wilson, who had been suffering from lung cancer.

Council Chief Executive John Mothersole said, “John Mothersole, Chief Executive of Sheffield City Council said: “We are deeply shocked. Jan will be sorely missed. She was an inspiration to us all. She was totally committed to working for Sheffield and was recognised for her dedication by being awarded a CBE in 2006. Her work with Yorkshire Forward was also celebrated. As well as being admired and respected locally, she was also much admired regionally and nationally.”

October was the month that Sheffield City Council finally stood up to their party chiefs in Westminster, rebelling to condemn the proposed rise in tuition fees. This was the story that would dominate the news through November, as students, schoolchildren and teachers, angered by the Browne review and by the proposed scrapping of EMA repeatedly marched on the Town Hall. Each demonstration was larger and louder than the one before.

And finally, as if to give us the Christmas present we all needed after such a depressing year…in December, this happened:

Gloomy as the year may have been, you couldn’t ever call it boring. Most other reviews of the year tend to end with predictions for the year ahead, but looking back on this year’s surprises, twists and turns, it’s probably best just to go along for the ride. These are uncertain times, and here’s to more uncertainty in 2011.

]]>https://mikeysmith.wordpress.com/2010/12/31/sheffieldpolitics-review-of-the-year-2010/feed/053.394487 -1.49268753.394487-1.492687mikeysmithtownhallNah, this'll never come back to haunt me, will it?Shirley Williams meets voters in SheffieldComment: Does Paul Scriven’s hotel video break any rules?https://mikeysmith.wordpress.com/2010/12/23/comment-does-paul-scrivens-hotel-video-break-any-rules/
https://mikeysmith.wordpress.com/2010/12/23/comment-does-paul-scrivens-hotel-video-break-any-rules/#commentsThu, 23 Dec 2010 18:37:31 +0000http://sheffieldpolitics.com/?p=303Continue reading →]]>The emergence of Paul Scriven’s musical debut yesterday has certainly been controversial among the people of Sheffield and beyond, but did it actually break, or even bend any rules?

The code (Par 8, sub par 1b) makes it clear that members may not take actions or decisions which might be of benefit to family or friends.

While Mr Scriven admitted to the Yorkshire Post that he made the video as a “favour to a friend” (the general manager of St Paul’s Hotel), it’s unlikely a complaint on this basis would be upheld as the video makes no mention of his position as a councillor. As Mr Scriven says, “I did this as Paul Scriven, not as a councillor.”

There is a question as to whether Cllr Scriven should declare a personal interest should any matters concerning St Paul’s arise in council in future, as despite declaring on twitter that he was not paid for the appearance:

…it could be interpreted as employment under Par8, sub par 1a(iv) of the code linked above.

One rule which the video almost certainly breaks is the Copyright, Designs and Patents act 1988, which forbids modifying the lyrics of a published song without first obtaining permission from the copyright holder. While it is unlikely that Cllr Scriven would be held responsible for this action, unless the producer of the video (apparently the general manager of St Paul’s Hotel) has obtained written permission from Lou Reed or his publishing company, he could be open to criminal prosecution.

The final rule that is most certainly broken by the video, is the unwritten law that you should never, ever cover Perfect Day. It’s about heroin for goodness sake, and look how creepy SuBo’s version turned out.

SheffieldPolitics has also been attempting to clear up some of the apparent inconsistencies in the story given by Cllr Scriven as to how he came to make the video.

When the video first came to light, Cllr Scriven made several postings to his Twitter account, the first being an explanation that:

However, the Yorkshire Post later reported him saying he had

“stepped in at the last minute” to film the two minute, 47 second video after arriving at the hotel on other business and hearing that an actor booked for it had dropped out.

As Mr Scriven helped out at the last minute, it must be assumed that the vocal track, which sounds like his voice, was recorded in a studio at a later date.

The other question is about the intended use of the short film. Mr Scriven, again on Twitter, said it was a training video intended for internal use only.

It’s hard, however to see the benefit an internal training video could have for local tourism:

Even if the above are simply the fallout of Twitter’s 140 character limit, or even lapses in memory, it’s hard to argue that Cllr Scriven’s involvement in the video isn’t a lapse in political judgement.

Despite it clearly being a work of fiction, is it sensible for the Leader of the Council to be filmed buying purple cocktails on a VIP card in a swanky hotel in a week which saw council workers warned they’ll be seeing a pay freeze?

Cllr Scriven accuses his opponents (which we at SheffieldPolitics, it should be noted, do not consider ourselves to be) of suffering sense-of-humer failure, and maybe he’s right. Maybe some politicians do take themselves too seriously.

It’s understandable though, that in such straitened times, many would fail to see the funny side. People want to believe politicians take their jobs seriously, and whether as a result of this, or of the hysterics and braying from both sides of the aisle every other week at meetings of the full council, they are finding it difficult to do so in Sheffield.

We approached Cllr Scriven for clarification and comment, but at the time of publication he had not replied. To be fair, it is Christmas and his Twitter says he’s got a nasty chest infection. SheffieldPolitics wishes him a very happy Christmas, hopes he feels better soon and invites him to get in touch with any clarifications he may wish to make in the New Year.

Sheffield Council and Sheffield Liberal Democrats declined to make any official statement, as it is “not a council matter”.